Denim power at Bradlees - Bradlees Stores stresses denim clothing

Discount Store News, June 19, 1995 by James Mammarella

In a new display tested at Bradlees' Burlington, Mass., location and expected to roll out across the 137-store chain this summer, an unbroken statement in denim extends 80 linear feet from the front door across the juniors and misses departments. Denim jumpers, shortalls, skirts, shorts and jeans predominate. Knit and woven denim-friendly tops round out the mix. Just across the front aisle, a selection of denim dresses heralds the ready-to-wear department.

Chairman and ceo Mark Cohen, midway through his first year at the helm of this struggling regional chain, has determined that a strong fashion statement in women's denim will spark excitement across the store.

It has already worked in Burlington, the Bradlees unit that Cohen has set up as a merchandising laboratory, where denim sales are running 40% ahead of the store's typical denim department.

Maneuvering to recapture its mantle as the Northeast's premier fashion value leader, Bradlees intends to use these departments to stimulate the latent loyalty of its customer base. There is little question the chain needs big merchandising changes. Sales and earnings have been sluggish for several years.

More powerful denim presentations are also on the way for the plus-size and petites departments. Both are slated for full feature wall support. Indeed, men's, boys' and girls' departments will all see "aisle-to-wall denim and denim-friendly" presentations, says Celia Clancy, vice president, general merchandise manager for soft lines.

Clancy notes that men's and boys' denim had received strong emphasis in past years at Bradlees, but the women's side had not. All that is changing now in misses and juniors. While side-by-side and sharing some of the same denim looks, misses and juniors will be more distinctly merchandised. "We are working in a more pointed way in the assortments," Clancy says."

In addition to segmentation, this means a more defined good/better/best price offering in denim.

The slimmed down vendor list in five-pocket basics includes Memphis as the opening price point at $17.99; Chic, Sasson, Wrangler and Bonjour, all circa $19.99, and Riders at $24.99.

Another goal is more on-trend buying. "The loyal, family customer wants fashions on time," Clancy says. "We have to get much faster. That means being more liquid, not spending all your money up front."

Clancy, who has been with Bradlees 13 years, has a new divisional merchandise manager for misses and juniors sportswear in George Cooper. Hired this spring from Lazarus Department Stores (the Federated chain where Mark Cohen was formerly chairman and ceo), Cooper says part of the sharpness in the missy and junior denim comes from eschewing dual sizing. "We've developed the assortment so there's a missy and a junior fit," he says.

Bradlees is one chain that has not been lured by the siren song of private label denim programs. Caldor, Hills and Pamida are among regional mass merchants seeking to mimic the success of JCPenney's Original Arizona Jean Co. program. Target, Kmart and Sears each have substantial private label denim programs as well. The regional mass merchant with the largest proportion of soft lines in its mix, Bradlees, is going the traditional route with big brands when it comes to denim.

While the chain is now attempting to secure better financing to facilitate an expanded private label apparel program, so far no house denim has been planned.

Fashion denim at Bradlees includes such lines as Pellini, No Excuses and Good Fellows. Silhouettes like shortalls are priced from $14.99 to $19.99, while shorts retail between $12.99 and $17.99. Zippered ankle jeans by X-AM are another item with some velocity. "Our intent," says Cooper, "is to upgrade the fashion assortment we have." He adds, "We're doing that with incredible success in anything that's a novelty or a step up in fashion." Denim featuring appliques, particularly in shortalls, have been part of this good sell-through.

Fashion value is the new measuring stick for denim at Bradlees. "Price point is not an issue," Cooper stresses. "We'll operate in a band of retail price points for our customer."

This echoes Cohen's overriding statement for all departments. "We're not going to be the lowest price, lowest common denominator chain," he says, noting that crossover shopping has become "enormous" by upstairs and mass level consumers.

Bob Luehrs, president of Chic/H.I.S., couldn't agree more. "Discount stores have to take more business away from department stores. That's the real area of new business in each of their trading areas."

Naturally enough, Luehrs sees denim as the section to lead the charge. He adds that signage and display are areas in which most vendors are more than eager to lend support.

Fred Burke, vice president of sales for Lee Co.-Riders Brand, praised Bradlees' decision to segregate the juniors and misses selections, observing that most discounters have tried to capture both sets of customers simply by fixture adjacency and have not broken out the juniors selection.